Vehicle Description
Zoom Classic Cars presents this 1932 Essex Terraplane 4 door Sedan.
Hudson Super Built first year of the Terraplane equipped with the
higher compression "Essex Power Dome" engine built by Hudson. This
was a 193CI (3.2L) 70HP 6 cylinder engine and is coupled with a 3
Speed manual transmission with cork-faced "Wet" clutch. Color
appears to be Sapphire Blue over grey cloth interior and
complemented with yellow spoke wheels. The 1932 Terraplane-a play
on words in the same spirit as aquaplaning and "aeroplaning"
(according to period literature) was constructed on a new, shorter
106-inch-wheelbase chassis, the frame of which was rather
unconventional at the time. Rather than use several heavy pieces of
I-beam steel as central crossmembers, Hudson's engineers made use
of a new floor pan design that was welded directly to the side
rails in roughly 20 places, which helped increase the body's
overall rigidity. This striking new form of automobile assembly was
called "unit construction," unlike the true unit-body style that
was to follow decades later. While shorter than the average
vehicle, the Terraplane's front and rear track was also much
narrower, at 51.5 inches versus the industry standard of 54.5
inches. These factors made significant strides towards achieving
the Terraplane's average weight of 2,209 pounds-more than 200
pounds less than the average Ford and 400 pounds less than a
Chevrolet.For marketing and publicity, Hudson launched the new car
in 1932 by having Amelia Earhart pilot a brand new Terraplane up
the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event. She handily won the race with the
best time and The Hudson Motor Company awarded here with her very
own Terraplane. This car is a mostly original example showing just
under 82k miles on the odometer. Interior seems to be in very good
condition with cloth seating in excellent condition Ornate gauge
faces that provide fuel level and driving range as well as a
speedometer that is capable of registering an incredible 100 MPH.
Aftermarket SW watt and Temp gauge mounted under the dash. Body of
the car is solid with patina and imperfections as shown especially
on the rear left fender. Solid & Clean undercarriage. Car starts
right up and drives well. It rides on older tires with
aforementioned yellow spoke wheels with factory Essex mini chrome
hub caps. which includes a fifth wheel mounted on the rear. Tires
show evidence of cracking and will need to be replaced. Stored in
MA with clean VT title in the owner's name. Please click on the
Blue "Additional Info Button to see a video of a 1932 Essex
Terraplane Theatrical Ad. Great Collector piece for the Terraplane
enthusiast. Please call Jeff for more information or to arrange a
viewing. Thanks for Looking.
